Professional Public Corrections Officers from across the United States gathered last week in Las Vegas for the annual Medal of Valor Awards Ceremony held during the Corrections USA conference. The annual conference honors the

courageous men and women who, as Correctional Officers, go above and beyond the call of duty to protect the safety of the public. CUSA currently represents over 80,000 publicly employed Correctional Officers from across this nation.

Sgt. Ricard was killed Sept. 24, 2012, at Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility in Ordway. She was given the award posthumously.

Four other officers recognized for their bravery during the September incident were Sgt. Lori Gann, Sgt. Lisa Orosco, Sgt. Greg Haugen, and Sgt. Michael Perez.

They were recognized for their heroic roles in the incident last year, in which a violent offender turned on Sgt. Ricard, killing her and seriously wounding Sgt. Gann. The other officers were first on scene and restrained the offender while administering lifesaving first aid. Sgt. Mary Ricard’s family will be awarded the Medal of Valor on her behalf, posthumously, in Ordway in a local ceremony at a date and time to be announced.

Medal of Valor Award winners are nominated by their peers, supervisors, community members or government leaders. The officers from Arkansas Valley State Corrections Facility were nominated by newly elected Pueblo County Commissioner Liane “Buffie” McFadyen. This year, in addition to the nomination of these officers, there are 11 other recipients from across the nation, including some, who like Sgt. Ricard, gave the ultimate sacrifice for their job, their life. There were six correctional officer deaths in 2012, throughout the United States.